THE PSYCHOANALYSTS MIND - FROM LISTENING TO INTERPRETATION - A CLINICAL REPORT

Freud's delineation of 'psychical reality' as our investigating domain poses compelling epistemological and clinical challenges, which must profoundly affect our understanding of what is meant by what is real. Exploring the patient's inner reality as our central database, we are given a remarkable, but elusive opportunity for discovery and recognit ion, holding a prevading mutative power. It is elusive, for, despite o ur intentions otherwise, there is a continuing pull towards a belief i n the greater 'wisdom' of our own assumptions and predilections, a blu rring of the boundaries between our and our patient's vantage points, leading us away from essential, if subtler dimensions of the patient's experience. Utilising a clinical example, the author tries to illustr ate some of her efforts to listen to her patient, and the difficulty s he encountered. Her struggle was one which, she believes, has more far -ranging, even ubiquitous ramifications. Further consideration is give n to some of the theoretical underpinnings in this mode of analytic li stening.